Comments on: Lowered festival attendance woes to affect IBMA? http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/lowered-festival-attendance-woes-to-affect-ibma/ News at the speed of Bluegrass! Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:58:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Bluegrass brad http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/lowered-festival-attendance-woes-to-affect-ibma/comment-page-1/#comment-57725 Bluegrass brad Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:21:23 +0000 http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/lowered-festival-attendance-woes-to-affect-ibma/#comment-57725 It's easy to see why the attendance is down. As a promoter, I see it every month. The people that say "they just love the music" are the ones who will absolutly not buy a ticket & thats the novice local hobby band member & 4 chord jammer. At least in WI it's a huge problem. I thought it was me...the folks just didn't like me, but when the Ass. in Milwaukee has the "Kruger Bros" to the tune of 52 people..WOW...The Ass. has 25 bands listed as members...5 to a band..115..Promoters & people that put on shows see it every month..You see a 65+ age crowd...no young folk...& when they go to a park & see a local band... people wonder who do buy tickets to support the music..why don't they (these hobby pickers)EVER come & support the bands whoose music they steal to play!? By not supporting the concerts they are cutting there own throats. Soon no place will book the music outside of festivals & it has to be damn hard to hold a band together to play 20 summer jobs. Sad but so very true. There's 6 bands within 80 miles of where I live.. 1 member even has a radio show...you NEVER see them supporting the National acts...But they say they love the music as they steal a Charlie Sizemore song..but where are they to support Charlie? Here's what you have...Summerfest in Milwaukee is the largest music fest in the country..9 stages with 7 bands a day by 11 days long. Thats 693 bands...The Lovell Sisters got 45 minutes...& that was it for Bluegrass..over 11 days. When I contacted Summerfest telling them what I could offer they said..."Any other genre will draw more people, hold the people longer & the people will spend more on consessions"..sad but true..Come on...put your instruments & egos aside for a nite & go support the national acts who put there lives on the line traveling the road. Brad Klabunde Agent/Promoter/Sound/MC B.K.Prod's Bluegrass Shows Two Rivers,WI www.bluegrassbrad.org It’s easy to see why the attendance is down. As a promoter, I see it every month. The people that say “they just love the music” are the ones who will absolutly not buy a ticket & thats the novice local hobby band member & 4 chord jammer. At least in WI it’s a huge problem. I thought it was me…the folks just didn’t like me, but when the Ass. in Milwaukee has the “Kruger Bros” to the tune of 52 people..WOW…The Ass. has 25 bands listed as members…5 to a band..115..Promoters & people that put on shows see it every month..You see a 65+ age crowd…no young folk…& when they go to a park & see a local band… people wonder who do buy tickets to support the music..why don’t they (these hobby pickers)EVER come & support the bands whoose music they steal to play!? By not supporting the concerts they are cutting there own throats. Soon no place will book the music outside of festivals & it has to be damn hard to hold a band together to play 20 summer jobs. Sad but so very true. There’s 6 bands within 80 miles of where I live.. 1 member even has a radio show…you NEVER see them supporting the National acts…But they say they love the music as they steal a Charlie Sizemore song..but where are they to support Charlie? Here’s what you have…Summerfest in Milwaukee is the largest music fest in the country..9 stages with 7 bands a day by 11 days long. Thats 693 bands…The Lovell Sisters got 45 minutes…& that was it for Bluegrass..over 11 days. When I contacted Summerfest telling them what I could offer they said…”Any other genre will draw more people, hold the people longer & the people will spend more on consessions”..sad but true..Come on…put your instruments & egos aside for a nite & go support the national acts who put there lives on the line traveling the road.

Brad Klabunde
Agent/Promoter/Sound/MC
B.K.Prod’s Bluegrass Shows
Two Rivers,WI
http://www.bluegrassbrad.org

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